Methods and apparatuses for providing addressability to devices in a network

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure is directed to apparatuses and methods for providing network addressability for one or more logical entities associated with a communication interface of a tangible device in a network. In one aspect of the present disclosure, a media access control address of a communication interface is converted to an Internet protocol address for a logical entity associated with the communication interface. When the apparatuses and methods of the present disclosure receive a communication signal including the converted Internet protocol address, the communication signal is provided to the logical entity associated with the Internet protocol address. In another aspect of the present disclosure, a user input received at a communication interface is mapped to an Internet protocol address to send a request to a logical entity.

REFERENCE TO RELATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No.62/206,473, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Providing Addressabilityto Devices in a Network,” filed on Aug. 18, 2015, the contents of whichare hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to communication systems, andmore particularly, to methods and apparatuses for addressing one or morelogical entities associated with a communication device.

BACKGROUND

Any background information described herein is intended to introduce thereader to various aspects of art, which may be related to the presentembodiments that are described below. This discussion is believed to behelpful in providing the reader with background information tofacilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the presentdisclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statementsare to be read in this light.

Today, modems, such as cable modems, offer Internet connectivity tosubscribers' homes. These modems are typically connected to aninformation distribution network, such as a coaxial cable network, anoptical fiber network, a hybrid fiber/coaxial cable network, or awireless network, and communicate with a network device outside the home(e.g., a termination system, such as a headend or cable modemtermination server (CMTS)). Within the home, the modem may be connectedto an in-home network or local area network (LAN), such as an Ethernetnetwork, an in-home coaxial cable network (e.g., per the Multimedia overCoax Alliance (MoCA) specification), wireless network, etc., and variousdevices within the home may use that local area network to ultimatelycommunicate with network devices outside the home. Additionally, themodem may provide telephone services to the home (e.g., Voice over IP(VoIP) services). Such multi-function modems are commonly referred to asa gateway or gateway device.

The communication protocol used in a cable network between the homedevice (e.g., cable modem or gateway) and the CMTS is referred to asData over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS). The latestprotocol that is available today is DOCSIS version 3.1. DOCSIS 3.1expands use of Internet Protocol communications including capabilitiesto allow IP version 4 (IPv4) through IPv6.

Most networks provide a defined separation between wide area network(WAN) communications and LAN communications. Typically, LAN protocolsignaling is terminated as they enter the WAN. However, it is possible,and perhaps preferable to operate a WAN as if it were a LAN. Severalproblems may arise when operating a WAN as if it were a LAN. One of thebiggest problems is providing proper addressability of a device in a WANwhen it is in fact communicating as if it were on a LAN (e.g., usinglayer 2 components and protocols). Therefore, there is a need for amechanism to allow device addressability in a network, specifically foroperation in a WAN that may also use LAN protocols.

SUMMARY

In one aspect of the present disclosure a method is provided including:receiving an input from a user at a device, determining if the input wasreceived through a first communication interface coupled to a firstlocal area network, and sending a first request for a first webpage to afirst logical entity associated with the first communication interfaceif it is determined that the input was received through the firstcommunication interface, the first webpage including informationassociated with the first communication interface.

In another aspect of the present disclosure an apparatus is providedincluding a first communication interface coupled to a first local areanetwork, and a processor coupled to the first communication interface,wherein the processor receives an input from a user, the inputrepresenting an indirect identification of a uniform resource locator,determines if the input was received through the first communicationinterface, and sends a first request for a first webpage to a firstlogical entity associated with the first communication interface if itis determined that the input was received through the firstcommunication interface, the first webpage including informationassociated with the first communication interface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These, and other aspects, features and advantages of the presentdisclosure will be described or become apparent from the followingdescription of the embodiments, which is to be read in connection withthe accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote similar elementsthroughout the views:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a networking communication system inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a gateway system in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary gateway device in accordancewith an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary network termination device inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of another networking communication system inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an exemplary method for creating an IPv6address for a logical entity and receiving communication signalsaddressing the IPv6 address for the logical entity in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an exemplary method for requesting a web pagefrom a logical entity associated with a communication interface inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

It should be understood that the drawing(s) is for purposes ofillustrating the concepts of the disclosure and is not necessarily theonly possible configuration for illustrating the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It should be understood that the elements shown in the figures may beimplemented in various forms of hardware, software or combinationsthereof. Preferably, these elements are implemented in a combination ofhardware and software on one or more appropriately programmedgeneral-purpose devices, which may include a processor, memory andinput/output interfaces. Herein, the phrase “coupled” is defined to meandirectly connected to or indirectly connected through one or moreintermediate components. Such intermediate components may include bothhardware and software based components.

The present description illustrates the principles of the presentdisclosure. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the artwill be able to devise various arrangements that, although notexplicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of thedisclosure and are included within its spirit and scope.

All examples and conditional language recited herein are intended foreducational purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principlesof the disclosure and the concepts contributed by the inventor tofurthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitationto such specifically recited examples and conditions.

Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, andembodiments of the disclosure, as well as specific examples thereof, areintended to encompass both structural and functional equivalentsthereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include bothcurrently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in thefuture, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function,regardless of structure.

Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the artthat the block diagrams presented herein represent conceptual views ofillustrative system components and/or circuitry embodying the principlesof the disclosure. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flowcharts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudocode, and thelike represent various processes which may be substantially representedin computer readable media and so executed by a computer or processor,whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

The functions of the various elements shown in the figures may beprovided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardwarecapable of executing software in association with appropriate software.When provided by a processor, the functions may be provided by a singlededicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by a plurality ofindividual processors, some of which may be shared. Moreover, explicituse of the term “processor”, “module” or “controller” should not beconstrued to refer exclusively to hardware capable of executingsoftware, and may implicitly include, without limitation, a System on aChip (SoC), digital signal processor (“DSP”) hardware, read only memory(“ROM”) for storing software, random access memory (“RAM”), andnonvolatile storage.

Other hardware, conventional and/or custom, may also be included.Similarly, any switches shown in the figures are conceptual only. Theirfunction may be carried out through the operation of program logic,through dedicated logic, through the interaction of program control anddedicated logic, or even manually, the particular technique beingselectable by the implementer as more specifically understood from thecontext.

In the embodiments hereof, any element expressed or described as a meansfor performing a specified function is intended to encompass any way ofperforming that function including, for example, a) a combination ofcircuit elements that performs that function or b) software in any form,including, therefore, firmware, microcode or the like, combined withappropriate circuitry for executing that software to perform thefunction. The disclosure as defined by such claims resides in the factthat the functionalities provided by the various recited means arecombined and brought together in the manner which the claims call for.It is thus regarded that any means that can provide thosefunctionalities are equivalent to those shown herein.

The present disclosure is directed to apparatuses and methods forproviding network addressability for a logical concept or entity, suchas a user interface, associated with a tangible device in a network.Some examples of a logical concept or entity associated with a deviceare 1) web pages containing information associated with a specificEthernet port; 2) a maintenance entity group (MEG) end point (MEP) tocollect and provide connectivity fault management for operations,administration, and maintenance associated with a specific Ethernetport; or 3) a MEG intermediate point (MIP) to collect and provideconnectivity fault management for operations, administration, andmaintenance associated with a specific Ethernet port. The embodimentsdescribed below address problems with network configuration andaddressability of devices that operate in a WAN but may use layer 2protocols. In particular, the embodiments address how to allow logicaldevice addressability in an IPv6 WAN using layer 2 communicationprotocols. The embodiments use port identification and further providespecific identification and address compatibility/conversion for theport identification. Further, an embodiment describing a convenientmechanism that enables a user to use the adapted address for the logicaldevice using the layer 2 protocols without having to learn or understandany specific information about the adapted address is provided.

The present embodiments provide a solution to addressability issues asthey relate to a DOCSIS cable network operating as a WAN. It isimportant to note that other networks, such as a phone line DSL,optical, or wireless networks that operate as a WAN may also useInternet protocols including, but not limited to IPv6 protocols, and mayalso permit “private” communication pipes between content providers on ashared WAN and user devices on a private LAN. As such, the presentembodiments may be easily modified by one skilled art to work in theseother networks. For example, specific embodiments below are described inrelate to IPv6 version of Internet protocol. Aspects of the presentembodiments may be applied to an Internet protocol version createdand/or used with a version number higher than, or after, IPv6.

Turning to FIG. 1, a block diagram of a typical arrangement for anetworking communication system 100 according to aspects of the presentdisclosure is shown. According to an exemplary embodiment, home gateway101 is an advanced cable gateway, cable modem, DSL modem, fiber modem,fixed wireless modem or the like, and is coupled to a wide area network(WAN) link 125 through a WAN interface to service provider 110. The WANlink 125 may be any one or more of the possible communication linksincluding, but not limited to, coaxial cable, fiber optic cable,telephone line, or over the air links (e.g., wireless). The home gateway101 is also coupled via a local area network (LAN) interface to homenetwork 150 which couples one or more customer premises equipment (CPE)devices 180A-N. The home network 150 may include wireless link(s) andmay also include wired links such as co-axial cable or Ethernet. CPEdevices 180A-N may include, for example, personal computers, networkprinters, digital set-top boxes, and/or audio/visual media servers andplayers, among others.

Service provider 110 provides one or more services, such as voice, data,video and/or various advanced services, over WAN link 125 to CPE devices180A-N through home gateway 101 and LAN interface 150. Service provider110 may include Internet-related services and server structures such asa DHCP server 111 and DNS server 112, and may include other servers andservices as well (e.g., video on demand, news, weather). It is importantto note that these servers and services can be co-located or widelydistributed, physically and/or virtually, in both hardware and software.It is contemplated that service provider 110 operates in a conventionalmanner in accordance with well known protocols (e.g., DOCSIS). In anillustrative cable application, service provider 110 may be, forexample, a cable multiple service operator (MSO).

Home gateway 101 acts as the interface between the WAN link 125 externalto the customer's home and the home network 150 located in thecustomer's home. Home gateway 101 converts transport dataframes/packets, such as packets in an IP protocol, from a format used inthe WAN to a format used in the home network or LAN. Home gateway 101also routes data frames/packets, including the converted dataframes/packets between the WAN and one or more devices on the homenetwork. Home gateway 101 allows data, voice, video and audiocommunication between the WAN and CPE devices 180A-N used in thecustomer's home, such as analog telephones, televisions, computers, andthe like.

In some embodiments, the functions of the home gateway 101 may be splitbetween two devices. The first device referred to as a networktermination device (NTD), such as a cable modem, may include thecommunication and modem functions found in gateway 101 for interfacingto the WAN. The NTD provides a connection into the WAN as well as aninterface to a second device, referred to as a home server, a homerouter, or home gateway, for communication in the home network or LAN.Separating the functionality as described allows the network serviceprovider to control the operation of the NTD while the consumer or homeuser is free to purchase any home device for use from a variety ofdifferent content service providers, sometimes referred to as accessseekers, independent of the WAN that is used. It is important to notethat a full gateway device, such as gateway 101, may also be describedas including two functional operational components representing the twodevices described herein. The descriptions of FIGS. 2 to 4 below mayfurther include descriptions that apply equally to either a full gatewaydevice or a combination of an NTD and a home server, router, or gateway.

It is important to note that the NTD, although connected to a WAN andproviding an interface to the home gateway as part of the home LAN, maybe required to operate in the service provider's network portion of theWAN using the layer 2 protocols. Usually, NTDs or modems provide layer 3communication protocols for WAN use to the gateway and reserves layer 2protocols for the LAN-style communications on the WAN side of thenetwork. As one example, in addition to having a global/universal mediaaccess control MAC Address for a network interface, the NTD or modem mayinclude private or “local” MAC addresses for use in the LAN. However,these private addresses will not usually propagate through the WAN basedon the communication protocols as they can cause problems with MACaddress registries and authentications. The present disclosure providestechniques that enable an NTD or modem to communicate into a WAN usinglayer 2 protocols while maintaining its private MAC addresses andfurther providing a proper MAC address structure for the WAN.

FIG. 2 shows a gateway system 200 according to aspects of the presentdisclosure. Gateway system 200 operates in a manner similar to homegateway 101 described in FIG. 1. In gateway system 200, network 201 iscoupled to gateway 202. Gateway 202 connects to wired phone 203. Gateway202 also connects to computer 205. In addition, gateway 202 interfaceswith devices 204A-204C through a wireless interface using one or moreantennas 206. Gateway 202 may also interface with computer 205 using oneor more antennas 206.

In particular, gateway system 200 operates as part of a cable networkinterface and acts to interface a data cable system to one or more homenetworks. Gateway system 200 includes a gateway 202 that provides theinterface between the network 201, operating as a WAN, and the homenetwork(s). Gateway system 200 also includes wired analog telephonedevice 203 capable of operating as a home telephone when connectedthrough gateway 202 via a wired connection 207. In addition, gateway 202also acts to provide a radio frequency (RF) interface to multiplewireless devices 204A, 204B, and 204C. Wireless devices 204A, 204B, and204C are handheld devices that use wireless packet transmissions via oneor more antennas 206 on gateway 202. In other embodiments, other deviceswith wireless interfaces including, but not limited to routers, tablets,settop boxes, televisions, and media players may be used.

The wireless interface included in gateway 202 may also accommodate oneor more wireless formats including Wi-Fi, Institute of Electrical andElectronics Engineers standard IEEE 802.11 or other similar wirelesscommunication protocols. Further, it is important to note that eachantenna in the system may be attached to a separate transceiver circuit.As shown in FIG. 2, gateway 202 includes two transceiver circuits andtwo antennas. Device 204A and computer 205 also include two transceivercircuits and two antennas while device 204B and device 204C include onlyone transmit receive circuit and one antenna. In some alternate designs,it may be possible that more than one antenna may be included with, andused by, a single transceiver circuit.

In operation, gateway 202 provides Internet protocol (IP) services(e.g., data, voice, video, and/or audio) between devices 204A-C andInternet destinations identified and connected via network 201. Gateway202 also provides IP voice services between wired phone 203 and calldestinations routed through network 201. Gateway 202 further providesconnectivity to a local computer 205 either via a wired connection 208such as is shown in FIG. 2 or via a wireless connection through one ormore antennas and transceiver circuits 206. Thus, exemplary interfacesfor computer 205 include Ethernet and IEEE 802.11. As noted above,gateway 202 may physically be configured as two components, a cablemodem or NTD that connects to network 201 and a home gateway thatconnects to all other devices in the home.

Gateway 202 further includes a communication front end circuit forinterfacing with the head end or CMTS through the network 201. In someembodiments, the gateway 202 further includes circuitry forcommunicating in the home network or LAN using MoCA protocols overco-axial cable. The communication front end circuit includes a diplexerfilter or a triplexer filter if MoCA is included, for separating theupstream communication and downstream communication signals (as well asMoCA signals if present). Further, the embodiment described hereprimarily is used in a cable system, and more particularly is used in asystem using DOCSIS 3.1 protocols. It is likely that the presentembodiments may also be useful in future advancement of the cable dataprotocols. As such, the present embodiments may be primarily used in acable modem device or a gateway that employ data modem functionality.However, other devices that include data modem or any other form of twocommunication functionality may also include the aspects of the presentembodiments.

Turning to FIG. 3, a block diagram of an exemplary gateway device 300according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. Gateway device300 may correspond to gateway 202 described in FIG. 2 or to home gateway101 described in FIG. 1. In gateway device 300, an input signal isprovided to RF input 301. RF input 301 connects to tuner 302. Tuner 302connects to central processor unit 304. Central processor unit 304connects to phone D/A interface 306, transceiver 308, transceiver 309,Ethernet interface 310, system memory 312, and user control 314.Transceiver 308 further connects to antenna 320. Transceiver 309 furtherconnects to antenna 321. It is important to note that several componentsand interconnections necessary for complete operation of gateway device300 are not shown in the interest of conciseness, as the components notshown are well known to those skilled in the art. Gateway device 300 maybe capable of operating as an interface to a cable or DSL communicationnetwork and further may be capable of providing an interface to one ormore devices connected through either a wired and wireless home network.

A signal, such as a cable or DSL signal on the WAN, is interfaced totuner 302 through RF input 301. Tuner 302 performs RF modulationfunctions on a signal provided to the WAN and demodulation functions ona signal received from the WAN. The RF modulation and demodulationfunctions are the same as those commonly used in communication systems,such as cable or DSL systems. Central processor unit 304 accepts thedemodulated cable or DSL signals and digitally processes the signal fromtuner 302 to provide voice signals and data for the interfaces ingateway 300. Similarly, central processor unit 304 also processes anddirects any voice signals and data received from any of the interfacesin gateway 300 for delivery to tuner 302 and transmission to the WAN.

System memory 312 supports the processing and IP functions in centralprocessor unit 304 and also serves as storage for program and datainformation. Processed and/or stored digital data from central processorunit 304 is available for transfer to and from Ethernet interface 310.Ethernet interface may support a typical Registered Jack type RJ-45physical interface connector or other standard interface connector andallow connection to an external local computer. Processed and/or storeddigital data from central processor unit 304 is also available fordigital to analog conversion in interface 306. Interface 306 allowsconnection to an analog telephone handset. Typically, this physicalconnection is provided via an RJ-11 standard interface, but otherinterface standards may be used. Processed and/or stored digital datafrom central processor unit 304 is additionally available for exchangewith transceiver 308 and transceiver 309. Transceiver 308 andtransceiver 309 can both support multiple operations and networkeddevices simultaneously. Central processor unit 304 is also operative toreceive and process user input signals provided via a user controlinterface 314, which may include a display and/or a user input devicesuch as a hand-held remote control and/or other type of user inputdevice.

As noted above, the gateway device 300 may be configured to operate asan NTD. In this case, central processing unit 304 may only connect toEthernet interface 310 and system memory 312. Phone digital-to-audio(D/A) interface 306, transceiver 308 and/or transceiver 309 may not bepresent or used. Further, an NTD may not include a direct end-user orconsumer interface and as such may not include user control 314.Additionally, the NTD may include and support more than one Ethernetinterface 310 and may be capable of operating each Ethernet interface asa separate virtual circuit between the content service provider(s) andthe home gateway attached to the Ethernet interface, thus allowing thecreation of separate LANs for each content consumer.

For example, referring to FIG. 4, an NTD 400 coupled to a plurality ofhome gateways 410 is shown in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. NTD 400 may be a standalone device or may beincluded in a larger gateway device, such as gateway 101 described inFIG. 1. NTD 400 includes a CPU 404 coupled to system memory 412, tuner402, and a plurality of interfaces 403 configured to interface NTD 400to a plurality of home gateways or modems 410, where, in one embodiment,each gateway or modem 410 is part of a separate LAN. In one embodiment,each interface 403 is an Ethernet port of NTD 400. As seen in FIG. 4,each Ethernet interface 403 is coupled to a corresponding home gateway410. In some embodiments, the NTD 400 may be included with one of thecorresponding home gateways 410. NTD 400 is coupled to a WAN via input401 and tuner 402. It is to be appreciated that in one embodiment, CPU404, system memory 412, tuner 402 may be the same or similar to CPU 304,system memory 312, and tuner 302.

As stated above, in one embodiment, each gateway 410 may correspond to aseparate LAN for each customer being serviced by a service providerproviding content or services (e.g., Internet, telephone, television,etc.). For example, downstream signals received via tuner 402 areprovided to CPU 404. CPU 404 is configured to bridge frames using alayer 2 virtual LAN address for a gateway or packets using an IP addressfor a gateway to the proper Ethernet interface 403 associated with thegateway 410. When NTD 400 receives downstream communication signals viaa communication interface coupled to the WAN, such as input 401 andtuner 402, CPU 404 is configured to determine, based on the layer 2virtual LAN address or IP address used in the communication signal,which Ethernet interface 403 to transmit the downstream signals to. Inthis way, NTD 400 enables a plurality of service providers to providecontent to a plurality of LANs, where each LAN may be serviced by adifferent service provider.

Referring to FIG. 5, an NTD 522 is shown coupled to a WAN in accordancewith an embodiment of the present disclosure, where, in one embodiment,NTD 522 is used as a cable modem for a Hybrid-Fiber Co-axial cable (HFC)DOCSIS access network (i.e., a WAN). The operation of NTD 522 may besimilar to the operation of NTD 400 described in FIG. 4. As seen in FIG.5, a plurality of service providers, such as service providers 560, 570,580, are coupled to an access network provider 540, where the accessnetwork provider 540 is coupled to an NTD 522, via WAN interface 501(i.e., a radio frequency (RF) interface). It is to be appreciated thatWAN interface 501 may be the same as input 401 and tuner 402.

It is to be appreciated that each service provider, of the plurality ofservice providers, may provide one of many different types of servicesfor a user. For example, service provider 560 may provide Internet andtelevision services, while service provider 570 may provide telephoneservices. It is to be appreciated that each service provider may providea plurality of services, for example, service provider 580 may provideInternet, television, and telephone services via WAN 500.

Each of the plurality of service providers 560, 570, 580 may leasebandwidth from an access network provider (ANP), such as ANP 540, sothat the service provider 560, 570, 580 can service one or more customerpremises, such as customer premises 510 and 520. As seen in FIG. 5,service provider 560 includes router 562, service provider 570 includesrouter 572, and service provider 580 includes router 582, where each ofrouters 562, 572, and 582 are coupled to CMTS router 542 via one or morerouting elements. For example, router 582 is coupled to router 552,router 572 is coupled to router 554, and router 562 is coupled to router556. Routers 552, 554, and 556 are each coupled to router 550. Router550 is also coupled to routers 542 and 548. CMTS router 542 is coupledto NTD 522 via interface 500.

Although not shown, it is to be appreciated that many networkingelements have been omitted from FIG. 5 for the sake of simplicity.Furthermore, although only three service providers (i.e., 560, 570, and580) and two customer premises (i.e., 510 and 520) are shown in FIG. 5,it is to be appreciated that the teachings of the present disclosure maybe used with any number of service providers coupled to an ANP, such asANP 540, to service any number of customer premises.

Each communication interface (i.e., Ethernet interfaces 403) of NTD 522may be coupled to a different gateway or set-top box (such as 502 and530), where each gateway or set-top box (such as 502 and 530) may beassociated with a separate LAN. The NTD 522 of the present disclosureallows for each Ethernet interface 403 of NTD 522 to be individuallyaddressable through the WAN by a service provider, such as serviceproviders 560, 570, and 580. In this way, a plurality of serviceproviders may interface to a plurality of LANs via NTD 522. It is to beappreciated that NTD 522 may be configured to interface to any number ofLANs by including additional communication interfaces (i.e., Ethernetinterfaces 403) coupled to corresponding home gateways 410 associatedwith separate LANs.

NTD 522 is coupled to a gateway or set-top box 530 via a firstcommunication interface (e.g., Ethernet interface 403A) of NTD 522. Itis to be appreciated that a service provider, such as service provider560, may service the customer in premises 520. To service the customerin customer premises 520, service provider 560 may provide communicationsignals to gateway 530 via Ethernet interface 403A by a layer 2 virtualLAN address or IP address over the WAN. Gateway 530 may also be coupledto PC 528, telephone 526, and TV 524, in customer premises 520. In thisway, service provider 560 provides Internet services for PC 528,telephone services to telephone 526, and television services to TV 524,via gateway 530 and Ethernet interface 403A of NTD 522.

Furthermore, NTD 522 may be coupled to another customer premises, suchas customer premises 510. NTD 522 may be coupled to gateway 502 ofcustomer premises 510 to create a separate LAN from the LAN of customerpremises 520. Gateway 502 may further be coupled to PC 506 and telephone504. In one embodiment, CPU 404 directs layer 2 virtual LAN or IPcommunication for a second communication interface of NTD 522, such asEthernet interface 403B. In this way, a service provider, such asservice provider 570 or 580 may provide one or more services to customerpremises 510. For example, in one embodiment, service provider 580provides Internet services to PC 506 of customer premises 510 byaddressing gateway 502 using layer 2 virtual LAN address or IP addressover Ethernet interface 403B over the WAN. Furthermore, service provider580 may provide telephone services for telephone 504 by addressinggateway 502 using layer 2 virtual LAN address or IP address overEthernet interface 403B over the WAN.

It is to be appreciated that NTD 522 may be used to interface aplurality of service providers to a plurality of LANs. In oneembodiment, each separate LAN that the NTD 522 interfaces to is aseparate customer premises, i.e., customer premises 510 includes one LANcoupled to NTD 522 via Ethernet interface 403B and customer premises 520includes another LAN coupled to NTD 522 via Ethernet interface 403A. Itis to be appreciated that customer premises 510 and 520 may be separatephysical structures, i.e., separate dwellings, or alternatively customerpremises 510 and 520 may be separate rooms within the same physicalstructure, e.g., separate apartments, offices, or stores within the samebuilding.

Furthermore, NTD 522 can be used to create separate LANs, within thesame customer premises. For example, in one embodiment, a user incustomer premises 520 may desire to use service provider 560 fortelevision and Internet services and service provider 570 for telephoneservices. To achieve this, telephone 526 (or a separate modem or gatewaycoupled to telephone 526) may be coupled to an Ethernet port 403 of NTD522 other than Ethernet port 403A and 403B, where the separate Ethernetport is addressable via the WAN. In this way, NTD 522 may be used tocreate two separate virtual LANs within the same customer premises 520,where, for example, service provider 570 provides one service (e.g.,telephone) to customer premises 520 via an Ethernet interface 403 of NTD522 and service provider 560 provides another service or services (e.g.,Internet and telephone) to customer premises 520 via a separate Ethernetinterface 403 of NTD 522. To achieve this, telephone 526 (or a separatemodem or gateway coupled to telephone 526) may be coupled to an Ethernetport 403 of NTD 522 other than Ethernet port 403A and 403B, where theseparate Ethernet port is addressable via the WAN.

As described earlier, the NTD 522 may be used to interface a pluralityof service providers to a plurality of LANs with each service provider'sgateway serving the LAN connected to a single Ethernet port. Atechnician for the access network provider 540 may need to investigatethe data performance of an Ethernet port, such as Ethernetport/interface 403 for a particular service provider or premises. Tofacilitate this functionality, in one embodiment, NTD 522 is configuredto maintain a logical entity associated with each tangible networkinterface (e.g., Ethernet interface 403) which collects performance datafor the tangible network interface and can be used to diagnose thetangible network interface. It is to be appreciated that, in oneembodiment, the logical entity is maintained by CPU 404 of NTD 522 andthe performance data collected by the logical entity is stored in memory412 of NTD 522. To aide in the addressing of this logical entity, theCPU 404 creates a custom locally-administered MAC Address based on theglobal/universal media access control (MAC) address of the tangiblenetwork interface.

In one embodiment, the MAC address, also known as an Extended UniqueIdentifier-48 (EUI-48), for each Ethernet port/interface 403, isconverted to a locally administered address, i.e., theuniversally/locally administered address bit is changed from a zero to aone to identify the address as a local address. CPU 404 is configured toidentify each universal MAC address assigned to each Ethernetport/interface 403 and convert it to a locally-administered MAC address.This “local” MAC address of each Ethernet interface 403 may then beconverted by CPU 404 for use in an IPv6 network by converting the 48-bitvalue of each address into a 64-bit value by inserting the string ofbits FF:FE into the middle of each local MAC address for each Ethernetport/interface 403. This 64-bit value may then be used in an IPv6 uniquelocal unicast address to reference a logical entity associated with theEthernet port/interface 403 of NTD 522. Each 64-bit IPv6 address createdby CPU 404 is based on a 48-bit globally-unique MAC Address, but it ispossible the 64-bit value represented by this 64-bit address could alsobe generated in an IPv6 network which would result in two addressableentities having the same IPv6 address. Therefore, in one embodiment, thegenerated IPv6 address is used as a link local address that mayterminate at the next IPv6 router, such as border routers 552, 554, or556, or be routed within the IP Network of the ANP 540 as controlled bythe ANP network administrator. It is to be appreciated that the abovedescribed process may also be used convert the MAC address of interface500 to an IPv6 link local address. It is to be appreciated that anyversion of Internet protocol addressing developed after IPv6 may includesimilar characteristics, particularly if the later version includes somelevel of backward compatibility. As a result, aspects of the presentdisclosure may apply or may be adapted by one skilled in the art to beused with the later Internet protocol version.

In one embodiment, a technician may access web pages containinginformation only for the communications to and from a particularEthernet port or other communication interface of NTD 522 by connectinga laptop to the desired interface, such as Ethernet port 403 of the NTD522, opening a browser, and entering the generated IPv6 address as theHTTP address of the associated web pages. It is to be appreciated thatthe web pages containing information relating to the communicationinterfaces of NTD 522 may be hosted by CPU 404, or alternatively the webpages may be hosted by ANP. In one embodiment, CPU 404 is configured torecognize this HTTP address as the address for the logical entityassociated with the Ethernet port and present the associated informationin web page form to the browser. These web pages could also provide theability to manage the ANP services provided at this Ethernet port 403,e.g. change performance parameters such as port data rate or performdiagnostics.

As an example of generating the locally-administered MAC address andIPv6 address of the logical entity associated with a tangible networkinterface (e.g., Ethernet interface/port 403), the NTD 522 may includethree regular universal administered MAC addresses, (where each is anEUI-48 address):

-   -   Cable Modem RF interface 500—C4:27:95:7D:02:20    -   Ethernet interface 403A—C4:27:95:7D:02:2A    -   Ethernet interface 403B—C4:27:95:7D:02:2B        The IPv6 link local address for Ethernet interface 403A is        created by CPU 404 by converting the globally-unique MAC address        C4:27:95:7D:02:2A of Ethernet interface 403A into a first        locally administered LAN MAC address by changing the        universal/local administered address bit of the globally-unique        MAC address C4:27:95:7D:02:2A to a ‘1’. The universal/local        administered address bit is the second-most least significant        bit of the first octet/byte—which in this example when changed        to a ‘1’ converts the EUI-48 value to C6:27:95:7D:02:2A. Then,        CPU 404 converts this 48-bit address into a 64-bit address by        inserting the hexadecimal value FF:FE in the middle of the        locally administered MAC address to create a 64-bit address        (a.k.a. EUI-64)—C6:27:95:FF:FE:7D:02:2A for Ethernet interface        403A. This 64-bit address may then be used by the ANP 540 as an        IPv6 link local address FD00::C6:27:95:FF:FE:7D:02:2A for the        logical entity associated with Ethernet interface 403A.

In this example, the IPv6 address the technician would enter as the URLin the browser would be http://FD00::C6:27:95:FF:FE:7D:02:2A. It is tobe appreciated that a similar process may be repeated for Ethernetinterface 403B, interface 500, and any other Ethernet interface 403 ofNTD 522 to create a custom IPv6 address that can be addressed by the ANP540.

Although the above-described example includes addressing the logicalentity associated to a communication interface (e.g., interface 403) ofNTD 522 via the communication interface associated with the logicalentity, any IPv6 address created by CPU 404 to address a logical entityassociated to a communication interface 403 of NTD 522 may also beaddressed from the WAN via interface 500. For example, in oneembodiment, CPU 404 of NTD 522 is configured such that CPU 404 canrecognize if a downstream communication signal (received from the WANvia interface 500) includes an IPv6 address for an Ethernet interface403 of NTD 522. In this way, when a downstream communication signalincluding an IPv6 address for the logical entity associated withEthernet interface 403 is received via interface 500 of NTD 522 andprovided to CPU 404, CPU 404 is configured to route the communicationsignal to the logical entity for Ethernet interface 403 corresponding tothe IPv6 address in the received communication. For example, a signalincluding an IPv6 address for the logical entity for Ethernet interface403A that is received by CPU 404 may be provided to the logical entityfor Ethernet interface 403A. Similarly, a signal including an IPv6address for the logical entity for Ethernet interface 403B that isreceived by CPU 404 may be provided to the logical entity for Ethernetinterface 403B.

It is to be appreciated that the techniques described above to generatean IPv6 address for a logical entity associated with a communicationinterface of a network termination device, such as NTD 522, may be usedto maintain many types of logical entities. For example, as statedabove, the logical entity may be a web page including informationrelating to the ANP service provided to a communication interface. Asanother example, the logical entity may be used to perform layer 2Connectivity Fault Management (CFM). CFM measurements are a means ofensuring an ANP, such as ANP 540, is meeting the Service Level Agreementwith service providers (SPs) using the ANP's service, such as serviceproviders 560, 570, and 580. CFM activities include, but are not limitedto, A) measuring continuity from one point to another point, B) tracingthe route an SP's packet may take through the ANP network, C) measuringframe/packet losses through the ANP network, D) measuring frame latency(delay) and jitter (timing variation) through the ANP network, and E)measuring data rate through the ANP network.

For example, in one embodiment, the logical entity for eachcommunication interface 403 of NTD 522 may be a maintenance entity group(MEG) end point (MEP) or a maintenance entity group (MEG) intermediatepoint (MIP) associated with the communication interface. In this way,the MEP/MIP logical entity associated with a communication interface 403of NTD 522 may be configured to gather data associated with thecommunication interface 403 the MEP/MIP logical entity is associatedwith and the MEP/MIP logical entity may be addressed using the IPv6address generated for the MEP/MIP logical entity using the techniquesdescribed above. The MEP/MIP logical entity may then be commanded orconfigured using this addressability to retrieve information collectedby the MEP/MIP logical entity, or alternatively, to reconfigure theMEP/MIP logical entity as desired. Although the CFM standards above areconsistent with IEEE 802.1Q, the above described embodiments may be usedfor logical entities of other CFM standards, such as Service ActivationMethodology and Performance Monitoring, both of which are in used in ITUY.1564.

It is to be appreciated that when CPU 404 receives a communicationsignal including an IPv6 address for a logical entity associated with acommunication interface 403 of NTD 522, CPU 404 is configured to takeaction based on the use-context of the logical entity of the IPv6Address (or other

Internet protocol address) in the frame (layer 2) or packet (layer 3) ofthe communication signal. For example, if the generated IPv6 address isused within the HTTP context (i.e., the web page example describedabove) then CPU 404 displays the web page including the informationrelating the communication interface associated with the logical entity.If the logical entity is used within the context of CFM, then CPU 404may analyze the packets of the received communication signal todetermine what action to take for the logical maintenance entity (e.g.,MEP, MIP, etc.). For example, CPU 404 is configured to read the CFM“OpCode” in the frame of the received communication signal, such as, butnot limited to, “Continuity Check”, “Link Trace”, “Loop-Back”, “LinkTrace Reply”, “Loop-Back Reply”, or “Alarm Indication”. The MEP logicalentity initiates Continuity Check Messages, Loop-Back and Link Tracemessages, responds to Loop-Back and Link Trace messages, and forwardsmessages to higher level maintenance entities. The MIP logical entityresponds to Loop-Back and Link Trace messages, and forwards messages tohigher level maintenance entities. When CPU 404 detects a CFM frame, CPU404 may forward the CFM frame to both the MEP (if defined) and MIP (ifdefined) associated with the MAC address or the locally-administered MACaddress for the Ethernet port 403 in the IPv6 packet.

It is to be appreciated that, in one embodiment, more than one logicalentity may be associated to a single Ethernet port or interface 403 inaccordance with the present disclosure. In this embodiment, when CPU 404receives a communication signal including an Internet protocol addressassociated to an Ethernet port or interface 403, CPU 404 may determinewhich logical entity to provide the communication signal to based on theuse-context of the logical entity of the Internet protocol address inthe frame (layer 2) or packet (layer 3) (as described above). In otherwords, CPU 404 determines the intended use of a communication signalincluding an Internet protocol address associated to an Ethernet port orinterface 403 (i.e., based on information in the packet or frame of thecommunication signal), and CPU 404 provides the communication signal tothe proper logical entity associated with the Ethernet port or interface403, based on the determined intended use. In this way, a singleInternet protocol address (generated using the MAC address of anEthernet port or interface 403, as described above) may be used toaddress one or more logical entities associated with a single Ethernetport or interface 403.

In one embodiment, the logical entity may be used to manage thethroughput data rates of sub-classes of layer 2 frames within a VLANserved by a physical Ethernet port, such as Ethernet port 403. Forexample, a single VLAN may be configured to support up to 8 sub-classesof layer 2 frame traffic using the “PCP bits” (3 bits) in the layer 2frame. For example, if a Service Provider (SP) has a Service LevelAgreement (SLA) with the ANP to provide 100 Mbps to a SP's Small-MediumBusiness (SMB) customer served by NTD 522. The ANP provides a 100 MbpsVLAN circuit between the SP and the SMB. However, the SP may want toprovide three “traffic class” (TC) levels within the SLA service: TC-1(guaranteed bandwidth, low latency), TC-2 (guaranteed bandwidth at lessthan a specified latency), and TC-3 (remaining unused bandwidth at “besteffort” quality). For example, the ANP may agree in the terms of the SLAthat traffic of class TC-1 may be mapped to PCP value ‘5’, TC-2 may bemapped to PCP value ‘4’, and TC-3 may be mapped to PCP value ‘1’. The SPis responsible for tagging its layer 2 frames within the VLAN with thecorrect PCP value and the logical entity in NTD 522 is configured tomanage the traffic flow to meet the SLA agreements.

In the above-described example, it is to be appreciated the CPU 404 isconfigured to maintain a logical entity associated with traffic class.The logical entity may measure the throughput or latency experienced byspecific traffic class(es) at a single Ethernet interface or port 403.In this way, the separate logical entity associated with traffic classthat measures the throughput or latency experienced by eachcorresponding traffic class at a single Ethernet interface 403 may beaddressable via an Ethernet interface 403 or the WAN (via interface500). When a layer 2 frame for the logical entity associated withtraffic class (i.e., including one of the PCP values described above) isreceived, CPU 404 may provide the layer 2 frame to the logical entityassociated with traffic class. The layer 2 frame may include a requestby a SP for information gathered by the logical entity associated withtraffic class. CPU 404 may determine the specific traffic class levelrelating to the received communication signal by reading the PCP valuein the communication signal. For example, CPU 404 may determine that acommunication signal including a PCP value of “1” relates to TC-1.

It is also to be appreciated that, in one embodiment, there may be aseparate logical entity for each traffic class level. In thisembodiment, when CPU 404 receives a communication signal including theInternet protocol address generated using the MAC address of an Ethernetport or interface 403, CPU 404 may determine based on the PCP value inthe communication signal, which logical entity to provide thecommunication signal to. For example, if the communication signalincludes PCP value of “1”, CPU 404 may provide the communication signalto the logical entity associated with TC-1.

Referring to FIG. 6, a flowchart including a method 600 for creating oneor more Internet protocol addresses for logical entities associated withone or more communication interfaces of an NTD, such as NTD 522, andreceiving communication signals addressed to a logical entity associatedwith a communication interface of an NTD is shown in accordance with thepresent disclosure.

In step 602A, CPU 404 converts a first universally administered MACaddress associated with a first communication interface (e.g., Ethernetinterface 403A) to a first locally administered MAC address. In step602B, CPU 404 converts a second universally administered MAC addressassociated with a second communication interface (e.g., Ethernetinterface 403B) to a second locally administered MAC address. It is tobe appreciated that, in one embodiment, CPU 404 may convert the firstand second universally administered MAC addresses to a first and secondlocally administered MAC address by changing the universally/locallyadministered address bit of each of the first and second universallyadministered MAC addresses from a zero to a one.

In step 604A, CPU 404 converts the first locally administered MACaddress to a first IP address. In step 604B, CPU 404 converts the secondlocally administered MAC address to a second IP link local address. Inone embodiment, the CPU 404 may convert the first and second locallyadministered MAC addresses to first and second Internet protocol linklocal addresses by inserting the hexadecimal value FF:FE in the middleof each locally administered MAC address. In step 606, CPU 404 receivesa communication signal including the first IP link local address or thesecond IP link local address. It is to be appreciated that CPU 404 mayreceive the communication signal in step 606 from the WAN viacommunication interface 500, or alternatively, from a communicationinterface 403 coupled to a LAN (e.g., communication interfaces 403A and403B). In step 608, CPU 404 determines if the communication signalincludes the first Internet protocol link local address or the secondInternet protocol link local address. If CPU 404 determines that thecommunication signal includes the first Internet protocol link localaddress, in step 610, CPU 612 provides the communication signal to thelogical entity associated with the first communication interface (e.g.,Ethernet interface 403A), in step 612. If CPU 404 determines that thecommunication signal includes the second Internet protocol link localaddress, in step 610, CPU 612 provides the communication signal to thelogical entity associated with the second communication interface (e.g.,Ethernet interface 403B), in step 612.

As described above, the embodiments of the present disclosure enable atechnician for an ANP, such as ANP 540, to access information andinvestigate data performance of a communication interface of an NTD,such as NTD 522, by accessing a logical entity, such as a web server,associated with a communication interface of the NTD. In one embodimentof the present disclosure, the technician may access web pages on theweb server containing information only for the communications to andfrom a particular Ethernet port or other communication interface of NTD522 by connecting a laptop to the desired interface, such as Ethernetport 403A of the NTD 522, opening a browser, and entering the generatedInternet protocol address (i.e., from steps 602 and 604 described above)for the logical entity (i.e., the web server containing the web pages)as the HTTP address of the associated web pages.

One approach for simplifying addressability of the logical entityinvolves converting a long string of hexadecimal numbers identifying theaddress into a simple character string. Such an approach is used withrespect to typing, for example, “www.google.com”, and converting thisstring (using Domain Name Server functionality included in a device suchas NTD 522) into an IPv4 address 216.58.216.4 or similar IPv6 address.

However, the mapping may not be correct for the address of the logicalentity if the actual communication interface or Ethernet port 403 thatis being used for communication onto the LAN is not also identifiednoting that the NTD 522 actually includes a plurality of MAC addressesbecause it has a plurality of Ethernet ports 403. Typically, an ANP'scommunication networks are not freely accessed and so requesting anaddress other than the desired address may result in a communicationerror. To address this issue, in one embodiment, when CPU 404 receives acharacter string representing a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) requestfor a web page associated with a communication interface of NTD 522, CPU404 of NTD 522 is configured to determine the port or interface 403 fromwhich the address request is made and take this character string alongwith the determined port and select the appropriate locally administeredMAC address and corresponding Internet protocol link local address forthe communication interface. It is to be appreciated that the Internetprotocol link local address is generated as described above in referenceto FIG. 6.

As an example of the operation of the simple address identificationmechanism, consider an NTD 522 with two Ethernet ports/interfaces 403Aand 403B. Ethernet port 403A is physically accessed by, or connectedinto by, a technician using a laptop who wishes to check trafficactivity between the NTD 522 and an ANP's (e.g., ANP 540) home center orheadend, e.g. the CMTS 542, for the premises served by Ethernet port403A. Once the connection is made at the port 403A, the NTD 522identifies the data connection by using the MAC address of the laptopnetwork interface to generate an Internet protocol link local addressfor the laptop and assigns it to the laptop. The NTD 522 receives acommand from the technician using an assigned string, for example,“http://tch_interface”, as the URL in the technician's browser's addressbar. It is important to note that this string is a generic assignedstring for access to the associated logical entity using any NTD 522,however, the teachings of the present disclosure may be used with anydesired string associated with a logical entity.

It is to be appreciated that upon receiving the string, CPU 404 examinesthe string to determine if it matches the assigned string (e.g.,http://tch_interface) to obtain the web pages associated with thecommunication interface. If the user inputted string matches theassigned string, then CPU 404 modifies the assigned string to includeinformation to identify the physical port used by the technician. In oneembodiment, the port information may be something as simple as a portnumber, such as ‘A’ or ‘B’, or it may be the MAC address associated withthe physical port. The combination of the assigned string and portidentification is enough information to select the web pages dedicatedfor that port. For example, when CPU 404 receives a string“tch_interface” from an Ethernet interface 403A, CPU 404 may determinethat the received string matches the assigned string, determine theEthernet interface 403 that the string was received from, and modify thereceived string to be “tch_interface_A”, where the “A” indicates thatthe string was received from Ethernet interface 403A.

If the NTD 522 has a local web server function, then CPU 404 performs aninitial Domain Name Server (DNS) lookup of the modified assigned string(e.g., “tch_interface_A”). If the modified assigned string is found, CPU404 resolves the modified assigned string to the generated Internetprotocol address for the proper logical entity to provide the web pagesfor the communication interface 403 the user inputted string wasreceived from. If the modified assigned string cannot be resolved (i.e.,is unknown), then the local web server function may reply with thestandard HTTP error message for web page not found.

If the user inputted string does not match the assigned string, then CPU404 may send the original user inputted string to an external DNS (i.e.,on the WAN) for IP address resolution. In this way, if a string that isnot intended to request a logical entity associated with a communicationinterface of NTD 522 is received by CPU 404, such as“http://google.com”, CPU 404 may send the request for“http://google.com” to an external DNS on the WAN.

If the NTD 522 does not have a local web server function and relies on aweb server provided by the ANP, then the ANP may need enough informationto uniquely select the appropriate web pages for the physicalcommunication port 403 used on the specific NTD 522. In this case, thereare several unique tuples of information that could identify the correctweb pages for physical port 403: A) the assigned string coupled with theMAC Address of the physical port (this MAC address can be obtained fromthe Source MAC Address of the layer 2 frame), B) the assigned stringcoupled with the port number and the WAN MAC Address of the NTD 522, orC) the generated Internet protocol address as the URL to identify theweb logical entity associated with the physical port 403. In anexemplary case, the CPU 404 provides the generated Internet protocollink local address to an external DNS in the ANP and the ANP providesthe web pages dedicated to the NTD's communication interface byperforming a DNS function on the generated Internet protocol link localaddress to provide the web pages associated with the communication portto the NTD 522 for the NTD 522 to pass to the communication port 403.

In one embodiment, CPU 404 receives a string (e.g., “tch_interface”)associated with a logical entity. Based on the MAC addresses for the NTD522 and the determination by CPU 404 of the specific port 403 that thestring is received from, the CPU 404 maps the received string to theInternet protocol link local address for the logical entity (i.e., theweb server containing the web pages described above) associated to thespecific port 403. It is to be appreciated that the Internet protocollink local address is generated as described above in reference to FIG.6 and may be stored in memory 412, where CPU 404 is configured toretrieve the Internet protocol link local address from the memory 412after the determination is made as to what port 403 the string wasreceived from. Furthermore, it is to be appreciated that, in oneembodiment, CPU 404 may generate the Internet protocol link localaddress upon receiving the string. For example, after CPU 404 determinesthe specific port 403 that the string was received from, CPU 404converts this string into the MAC address for Ethernet port 403A of CPU404 of NTD 522, converts the MAC address to a 64-bit locallyadministered address, and uses the 64-bit locally administered addressto create an Internet protocol link local address. In either case, afterCPU 404 maps the received string to the Internet protocol link localaddress, CPU 404 sends out the Internet protocol link local address tothe logical entity (i.e., the web server) associated with the port orinterface 403 to request the web page. It is to be appreciated that thelogical entity or web server may be hosted by CPU 404 or alternativelythe logical entity may be hosted by ANP 540.

As an example using an IPv6 address, when CPU 404 receives the string“http://tch_interface” from Ethernet port 403A, CPU 404 maps the stringto: “http://FD00::D427:95FF:FE70:022A”, which is the IPv6 address forthe logical entity associated with Ethernet port 403A. It is to beappreciated that the end portion of this string is the portion thatspecifically identifies Ethernet port 403A, where the NTD 522 Ethernetport 403A MAC address ends in 022A and Ethernet port 403B MAC addressends in 022B. The string “http://FD00::D427:95FF:FE70:022A” is then sentto the logical entity by CPU 404. In this way, a technician can use asimple assigned string entered into a web browser to access a logicalentity associated with a communication interface 403 of NTD 522 withoutknowledge of the specific IPv6 address for the logical entity.

Referring to FIG. 7, a flowchart of a method 700 for requesting a webpage from a logical entity associated with a communication interface isshown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. Instep 702, NTD 522 receives a user input, where the user input representsan indirect identification of a URL. As stated above, in one embodiment,the user input may be an attempt from a technician to access a web pageassociated with a logical entity, where the logical entity is associatedwith a communication interface of an NTD, such as NTD 522. In step 704,CPU 404 determines if the user input matches an assigned string (e.g.,“tch_interface”). If CPU 404 determines that the user input does notmatch the assigned string, in step 704, CPU 404 may send the user inputto the domain name sever, in step 720. If CPU 404 determines that theuser input matches the assigned string, in step 704, the method 700proceeds to step 706.

In step 706, CPU 404 determines if the user input was received from afirst communication interface (e.g., Ethernet interface 403A) or asecond communication interface (e.g., Ethernet interface 403B) using thephysical port identification. If CPU 404 determines that the user inputwas received from the first communication interface (e.g., Ethernetinterface 403A), in step 706, CPU 404 modifies the assigned string toindicate the first communication interface, in step 708. For example, ifthe received user input is “tch_interface”, CPU 404 modifies thereceived string to “tch_interface_A”, where the “A” indicates that thestring was received from Ethernet interface 403A. Then, CPU 404 maps themodified assigned string to the first Internet protocol address (asdescribed above) for a first logical entity associated with the firstcommunication interface, in step 710.

As stated above, the first logical entity may be hosted on a web servermaintained by CPU 404 of NTD 522, or alternatively, the first logicalentity may be hosted on web server maintained by ANP 540 in the WAN. Inone embodiment, CPU 404 is configured to determine if the first logicalentity is hosted on NTD 522 or if the first logical entity is hosted byANP 540 in the WAN, in step 712. Based on the determination in step 712,CPU 404 sends a first request for the first web page to the firstlogical entity using the first Internet protocol address for the firstlogical entity, in step 714. If CPU 404 determines that the firstlogical entity is hosted on NTD 522, in step 712, CPU 404 sends thefirst request for the first web page to the web server on NTD 522 thathosts the first logical entity, in step 714. If CPU 404 determines thatthe first logical entity is hosted on a web server in the WAN by ANP540, in step 712, CPU 404 sends the first request for the first web pageto the web server in the WAN hosted by ANP 540 via a third communicationinterface (e.g., interface 500), in step 714.

After the first logical entity receives the first request for the firstweb page, the first logical entity sends the first web page to CPU 404.In step 716, CPU 404 receives the first web page from the first logicalentity. After CPU 404 receives the first web page from the first logicalentity, CPU 404 then provides the first web page to the user via thefirst communication interface (e.g., the web page is provided to thetechnician's laptop that is connected to Ethernet interface 403A), instep 718.

If CPU 404 determines that the user input was received from the secondcommunication interface (e.g., Ethernet interface 403B), in step 706,CPU 404 modifies the assigned string to indicate the secondcommunication interface, in step 722. For example, if the received userinput is “tch_interface”, CPU 404 modifies the received string to“tch_interface_B”, where the “B” indicates that the string was receivedfrom Ethernet interface 403B. Then, CPU 404 maps the modified assignedstring to the second Internet protocol address for the second logicalentity associated with the second communication interface, in step 724.

As stated above, the second logical entity may be hosted on a web servermaintained by CPU 404 of NTD 522, or alternatively, the second logicalentity may be hosted on web server maintained by ANP 540 in the WAN. Inone embodiment, CPU 404 is configured to determine if the second logicalentity is hosted on NTD 522 or if the second logical entity is hosted byANP 540 in the WAN. Based on the determination in step 726, CPU 404sends a second request for the second web page to the second logicalentity using the second Internet protocol address for the second logicalentity, in step 728. If CPU 404 determines that second the logicalentity is hosted on NTD 522, in step 726, CPU 404 sends the secondrequest for the second web page to the web server on NTD 522 that hoststhe second logical entity, in step 728. If CPU 404 determines that thesecond logical entity is hosted on a web server in the WAN by ANP 540,in step 726, CPU 404 may send the second request for the second web pageto the web server in the WAN hosted by ANP 540 via a third communicationinterface (e.g., interface 500), in step 728.

After the second logical entity receives the second request for thesecond web page, the second logical entity may send the second web pageto CPU 404. In step 730, CPU 404 receives the second web page from thesecond logical entity. After CPU 404 receives the second web page fromthe second logical entity, CPU 404 then provides the second web page tothe user via the second communication interface (e.g., the web page isprovided to the technician's laptop that is connected to Ethernetinterface 403B), in step 732.

It is to be appreciated that although the steps of method 700 aredescribed in relation to an apparatus (e.g., NTD 522) including twocommunication interfaces, method 700 may be used with an apparatusincluding any number of communication interfaces, where eachcommunication interface has a uniquely addressable Internet protocoladdress.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure a method is providedincluding receiving an input from a user at a device, determining if theinput was received through a first communication interface coupled to afirst local area network, and sending a first request for a firstwebpage to a first logical entity associated with the firstcommunication interface if it is determined that the input was receivedthrough the first communication interface, the first webpage includinginformation associated with the first communication interface.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the method includesdetermining if the user input matches an assigned string and modifyingthe user input to indicate the first communication interface if it isdetermined that the user input matches the assigned string.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the method includeswherein the first communication interface includes a first media accesscontrol address and the method further includes generating the firstInternet protocol address using the first media access control address.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the method includeswherein the first Internet protocol address is compliant with IPv6 andwherein the generating further includes converting the first mediaaccess control address from a universally administered media accesscontrol address to a locally administered media access control addressand inserting a string of bytes into the locally administered mediaaccess control address to generate the first Internet protocol address.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the method includesreceiving the first webpage from the first logical entity and providingthe first webpage to the user via the first communication interface.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the method includeswherein the determining further includes determining if the input wasreceived through a second communication interface coupled to a secondlocal area network and sending a second request for a second webpage toa second logical entity associated with the second communicationinterface if it is determined that the input was received from thesecond communication interface.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the method includesreceiving the second webpage from the second logical entity andproviding the second webpage to the user via the second communicationinterface.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the method includeswherein first communication interface is coupled to a secondcommunication interface, wherein the second communication interface iscoupled to a wide area network.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the method includesdetermining if the first logical entity is hosted on a webserver in thedevice or on a webserver in the wide area network, wherein the sendingincludes sending the first request to the webserver in the device if itis determined that the first logical entity is hosted on the webserverin the device and sending the first request to the webserver in the widearea network if it is determined that the first logical entity is hostedon the webserver in the wide area network.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus isprovided including a first communication interface coupled to a firstlocal area network; and a processor coupled to the first communicationinterface, wherein the processor receives an input from a user,determines if the input was received through the first communicationinterface, and sends a first request for a first webpage to a firstlogical entity associated with the first communication interface if itis determined that the input was received through the firstcommunication interface, the first webpage including informationassociated with the first communication interface.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the apparatus includeswherein the processor determines if the user input matches an assignedstring and modifies the user input to indicate the first communicationinterface if the processor determines that the user input matches theassigned string.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the apparatus includeswherein the processor maps the user input to a first Internet Protocoladdress for the first logical entity if it is determined that the inputwas received through the first communication interface, wherein theprocessor sends the first request using the first Internet protocoladdress.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the apparatus includeswherein the first communication interface includes a first media accesscontrol address and the processor generates the first Internet protocoladdress using the first media access control address.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the apparatus includeswherein the first Internet protocol address is compliant with IPv6 andwherein the processor converts the first media access control addressfrom a universally administered media access control address to alocally administered media access control address and inserts a stringof bytes into the locally administered media access control address togenerate the first Internet protocol address.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the apparatus includeswherein the processor receives the first webpage from the first logicalentity and provides the first webpage to the user via the firstcommunication interface.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the apparatus includeswherein the processor determines if the input was received through asecond communication interface coupled to a second local area networkand sends a second request for a second webpage to a second logicalentity associated with the second communication interface if it isdetermined that the input was received from the second communicationinterface.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the apparatus includeswherein the processor receives the second webpage from the secondlogical entity and provides the second webpage to the user via thesecond communication interface.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the apparatus includeswherein the first communication interface and the second communicationinterface are Ethernet ports.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the apparatus includeswherein first communication interface is coupled to a secondcommunication interface, wherein the second communication interface iscoupled to a wide area network.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the apparatus includeswherein the processor determines if the first logical entity is hostedon a webserver in the processor or on a webserver in the wide areanetwork, and wherein the processor sends the first request to thewebserver in the processor if it is determined that the first logicalentity is hosted on the webserver in the processor and sends the firstrequest to the webserver in the wide area network if it is determinedthat the first logical entity is hosted on the webserver in the widearea network.

It is to be appreciated that the various features shown and describedare interchangeable. Unless otherwise indicated, a feature shown in oneembodiment may be incorporated into another embodiment. Further, thefeatures described in the various embodiments may be combined orseparated unless otherwise indicated as inseparable or not combinable.

Although embodiments which incorporate the teachings of the presentdisclosure have been shown and described in detail herein, those skilledin the art can readily devise many other varied embodiments that stillincorporate these teachings. Having described preferred embodiments of asystem and method for providing addressability to a device in a network,it is noted that modifications and variations can be made by personsskilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore tobe understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiments ofthe disclosure disclosed which are within the scope of the disclosure asoutlined by the appended claims.

1. A method comprising: receiving an input from a user at a device, theinput including a request for a webpage; determining if the user inputwas received through a first communication interface coupled to a firstlocal area network or a second communication interface; determining ifthe webpage request matches an assigned string; modifying the webpagerequest if the webpage request matches the assigned string, wherein theprocessor modifies the webpage request to generate a first modifiedwebpage request that includes information associated with the firstcommunication interface if the user input was received through the firstcommunication interface and generates a second modified webpage requestthat includes information associated with the second communicationinterface if the user input was received through the secondcommunication interface; and sending a first request for the firstmodified webpage to a first logical entity associated with the firstcommunication interface if it is determined that the input was receivedthrough the first communication interface; and sending a second requestfor the second modified webpage to a second logical entity associatedwith the second communication interface if it is determined that theinput was received through the second communication interface. 2.(canceled)
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising mapping the userinput to a first Internet Protocol address for the first logical entityif it is determined that the input was received through the firstcommunication interface, wherein the sending of the first requestfurther includes sending the first request using the first Internetprotocol address.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the firstcommunication interface includes a first media access control addressand the method further comprises generating the first Internet protocoladdress using the first media access control address.
 5. The method ofclaim 4, wherein the first Internet protocol address is compliant withIPv6 and the generating further includes converting the first mediaaccess control address from a universally administered media accesscontrol address to a locally administered media access control addressand inserting a string of bytes into the locally administered mediaaccess control address to generate the first Internet protocol address.6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the firstmodified webpage from the first logical entity and providing the firstwebpage to the user via the first communication interface.
 7. (canceled)8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the secondmodified webpage from the second logical entity and providing the secondwebpage to the user via the second communication interface.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first communicationinterface and the second communication interface are Ethernet ports. 10.The method of claim 1, wherein first communication interface is coupledto a third communication interface, wherein the third communicationinterface is coupled to a wide area network.
 11. The method of claim 10,further comprising determining if the first logical entity is hosted ona webserver in the device or on a webserver in the wide area network,wherein the sending includes sending the first request to the webserverin the device if it is determined that the first logical entity ishosted on the webserver in the device and sending the first request tothe webserver in the wide area network if it is determined that thefirst logical entity is hosted on the webserver in the wide areanetwork.
 12. An apparatus comprising: a first communication interfacecoupled to a first local area network; a second communication interfacecoupled to a second local area network; and a processor coupled to thefirst communication interface and the second communication interface,wherein the processor: receives an input from a user, the inputincluding a request for a webpage; determines if the user input wasreceived through the first communication interface or the secondcommunication interface; determines if the webpage request matches anassigned string; modifies the webpage request if the webpage requestmatches the assigned string, wherein the processor modifies the webpagerequest to generate a first modified webpage request that includesinformation associated with the first communication interface if theuser input was received through the first communication interface andgenerates a second modified webpage request that includes informationassociated with the second communication interface if the user input wasreceived through the second communication interface; sends a firstrequest for the first modified webpage to a first logical entityassociated with the first communication interface if it is determinedthat the input was received through the first communication interface;and sends a second request for the second modified webpage to a secondlogical entity associated with the second communication interface if itis determined that the input was received through the secondcommunication interface.
 13. (canceled)
 14. The apparatus of claim 12,wherein the processor maps the user input to a first Internet Protocoladdress for the first logical entity if it is determined that the inputwas received through the first communication interface, wherein theprocessor sends the first request using the first Internet protocoladdress.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first communicationinterface includes a first media access control address and theprocessor generates the first Internet protocol address using the firstmedia access control address.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein thefirst Internet protocol address is compliant with IPv6 and wherein theprocessor converts the first media access control address from auniversally administered media access control address to a locallyadministered media access control address and inserts a string of bytesinto the locally administered media access control address to generatethe first IPv6 address.
 17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein theprocessor receives the first modified webpage from the first logicalentity and provides the first modified webpage to the user via the firstcommunication interface.
 18. (canceled)
 19. The apparatus of claim 12,wherein the processor receives the second modified webpage from thesecond logical entity and provides the second modified webpage to theuser via the second communication interface.
 20. The apparatus of claim12, wherein at least one of the first communication interface and thesecond communication interface are Ethernet ports.
 21. The apparatus ofclaim 12, wherein first communication interface is coupled to a thirdcommunication interface, wherein the third communication interface iscoupled to a wide area network.
 22. The apparatus of claim 21, whereinthe processor determines if the first logical entity is hosted on awebserver in the processor or on a webserver in the wide area network,and wherein the processor sends the first request to the webserver inthe processor if it is determined that the first logical entity ishosted on the webserver in the processor and sends the first request tothe webserver in the wide area network if it is determined that thefirst logical entity is hosted on the webserver in the wide areanetwork.